Tourism chief Christina Garcia Frasco wants to restart the country's tourism industry by addressing visitors' critical concerns to reverse the abrupt fall in tourist arrivals and resulting demand plunge because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Philippine Economic Briefing in New York, USA, Frasco said the Department of Tourism wants to improve the number of days of tourists' stay, particularly Americans. The US has remained the top tourist to the Philippines for decades.
"We plan to address the most basic aspect of travel across the Philippines: Clean restrooms. I'm very pleased to inform you that in the first week of October, under the directive of the President, we are breaking ground on no less than 10 tourist rest areas across the Philippines. These tourist rest areas will have clean and decent restrooms for our tourists, a lounge for them to rest in, complete information on tourist destinations, and pasalubong centers for them to purchase local products and delicacies," Frasco said.
The tourist service areas will be distributed to Luzon (three), Visayas (five), and Mindanao (two).
Frasco likewise announced the prioritization of tourists' safety and security through a partnership with the Department of National Defense and the Department of Interior and Local Government; the establishment of WiFi in tourism destinations through a collaboration with the Department of Communications, Information and Technology; an improved digital platform that will provide information to tourists, and even the establishment of a tourist assistance call center.
She added the Philippines is ready as a tourism destination and the critical role that the industry plays in spurring economic opportunities across the country.
"The President has identified tourism as a major tool for the economic resurgence of the Philippines, stating that it can be the economic driver upon which we herald the Filipino Brand and at the same time create economic opportunity and livelihood all over the country," according to Frasco.
Plans to revive and revitalize Philippine tourism falls under the Department's 7-point agenda and the three strategies of connectivity, convenience, and equality as part of the DoT's strategy for tourism development.
Marcos Jr. echoed Frasco's statement and said the country's tourism industry is one of the economy's prime movers.
"We will also reinvigorate the tourism sector by investing in travel infrastructure and promoting the Filipino brand. With the Department of Tourism leading our efforts to revitalize both domestic and foreign tourism, we will ensure the safe reopening of tourist destinations and develop the Philippines' yet-to-be-discovered attractions," the President said.
